A historic rarity: Christie's auctions exceptionally rare blue diamond, fetching more than $40mn
Rare diamond auction
A veryrare 17.61-carat, pear-shaped Bleu Royal diamond set in a ring has fetched an astounding $43.8 million at a Christie's auction in Geneva.
This dazzling gem is dubbed as the "largest internally flawless fancy vivid blue" diamond ever to be offered in the history of auctions.
Part of a private collection for the past 50 years, the sale of the Bleu Royal at this auction marked the first time it had been made available for public acquisition.
Described by Christie's as one of the rarest diamonds ever discovered, the Bleu Royal's sale is a testament to its extraordinary nature.
A historical rarity
Christie's noted that in its 250-year history of conducting auctions, only three fancy vivid blue diamonds exceeding 10 carats have been presented for sale.
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These remarkable gems appeared in 2010, 2014, and 2016, underlining the infrequency of such finds.
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Among the notable blue diamonds, the 14.62-carat Oppenheimer Blue had commanded a price of over $57 million in 2016 at Christie's, further attesting to the allure of these exceptional gemstones.
Max Fawcett, Christie's head of jewellery in Geneva,told Reuters that Tuesday's sale wasthe "most expensive jewellery lot sold in all of 2023" by any auction house worldwide. This achievement marked an extraordinary milestone in the year's auction history.
On a different note, Christie's also made headlines on Monday (Nov 6)when it auctioned a Rolex watch worn by US actor Marlon Brando in the iconic film "Apocalypse Now." The watch, engraved with "M. Brando" on the back, fetched approximately $5 million, becoming a prized collectible.
Separately, Christie's is currently hosting an online sale of the pearl necklace worn by the legendary Audrey Hepburn in the final scene of the film "Roman Holiday."
(With inputs from agencies)